I have remarked before about my ‘enjoyment’ of walking around older ‘pioneer’ cemeteries. So many questions arise as I study the markers of graves. The obvious questions of why’s, how’s, what’s are usually paired with the who and when on the marker.
However, sometimes the marker is more challenging of the mind. The Who and When are not there. Below, the marker at Fredericksburg National Cemetery provides a very telling number ’11’…the number of unidentified soldiers’ remains buried beneath the marker.
Below, I found this marker for ’45’ next to a tree in a back corner of a pioneer cemetery. Again, the who and when are missing and the how, why, what remain equally missing. I find these types of markers provocative of emotions. Thank goodness most of us will not go unknown, unidentified, alone in the end. For those that do, perhaps someone will stand, looking down upon them and wonder.
SwittersB & Exploring 
Interesting post. I too have often wondered these same things when wandering through old cemeteries.
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I suppose as an interesting followup, I could try to contact the government agency that manages the cemeteries and see if they have inherited any records. The cemeteries have passed from the County to some regional agency. Thanks for dropping by. Your blog is immensely helpful!!!
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I suppose I could find the record keepers for the cemeteries and see how forthcoming they might be. Love your very helpful site and put it on my blogroll!
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An unmarked grave seems so sad. There are so many graves and cemeteries that have become so overgrown and/or just plain lost.
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